47 CFR Part 15 is the Federal Communications Commission rule that lets electronic devices emit small amounts of radio energy without an individual license, in exchange for meeting emission limits and accepting interference from licensed users. It covers nearly every consumer electronic product sold in the United States, from Wi-Fi routers and laptops to LED bulbs and garage door openers.1eCFR. 47 CFR Part 15 – Radio Frequency Devices The rules cap how much radio energy a device can radiate so that millions of unlicensed products can share the spectrum without disrupting each other or licensed services.
The Two Conditions Every Device Accepts
Section 15.5 sets two non-negotiable operating conditions that apply to every Part 15 device regardless of category. First, the device must not cause harmful interference to licensed radio services like emergency communications, broadcast stations, or aviation frequencies. Second, the device must accept any interference it receives from authorized sources, even if that interference degrades performance.1eCFR. 47 CFR Part 15 – Radio Frequency Devices
That second condition surprises people. A Part 15 device has no legal right to a clean signal. If a licensed station’s transmissions cause your wireless camera to glitch, you have no recourse against the station. Part 15 devices sit at the bottom of the spectrum priority ladder.
If the FCC determines that a device is causing harmful interference, the operator must stop using it immediately and cannot resume until the problem is fixed. Prior use of a frequency creates zero legal protection, no matter how long the device has been operating.
How the FCC Classifies Devices
Part 15 sorts all radio-frequency-emitting equipment into three groups, and the classification decides what testing and approval a product needs.2Federal Communications Commission. Equipment Authorization – RF Device
- Intentional radiators transmit radio energy on purpose. Wi-Fi routers, Bluetooth headsets, cordless phones, and wireless alarms sit here.
- Unintentional radiators generate radio-frequency energy internally to do their job but aren’t meant to broadcast it. Computers, printers, cash registers, and digital clocks are typical examples.
- Incidental radiators create radio energy as a byproduct of a mechanical or electrical process. DC motors, mechanical light switches, and basic power tools without digital logic fit here.
Intentional and unintentional radiators must go through formal equipment authorization before sale. Incidental radiators only need to meet the general operating conditions in Section 15.5 and don’t need specific FCC approval. Getting the classification wrong can mean testing to the wrong standard, delaying a launch or triggering enforcement after the product is on shelves.
Class A and Class B Digital Devices
Within the unintentional radiator category, the FCC further splits digital devices by intended environment.3Federal Communications Commission. Understanding the FCC Regulations for Computers and Other Digital Devices Class A covers equipment marketed for commercial, industrial, or business use, such as rack-mounted servers and industrial controls. Class B covers equipment marketed for residential use or the general public, including home computers, consumer routers, and televisions. Class B limits are stricter because these devices operate near sensitive household electronics.
Class A products must carry a notice warning that they may cause interference in a residential setting. If a product could plausibly end up in either environment, designing to Class B limits is the safer path. A Class B device can be sold anywhere; a Class A device sold into a home invites interference complaints.
Equipment Authorization: SDoC vs. Certification
Before an intentional or unintentional radiator can be marketed in the US, it must clear one of two authorization procedures.4Federal Communications Commission. Equipment Authorization Procedures
Under a Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity (SDoC), the manufacturer or importer tests the product, keeps the test reports on file, and signs a compliance declaration. No outside reviewer approves the paperwork before the product ships. SDoC is the standard path for unintentional radiators like computers, monitors, switching power supplies, and LED bulbs.
Certification is the path for intentional radiators such as Wi-Fi modules, Bluetooth chips, and wireless microphones. The responsible party submits test data and technical documentation to a Telecommunications Certification Body (TCB), a private lab authorized by the FCC to review applications and issue grants of certification. Once granted, the certification is uploaded to the FCC ID database, where anyone can look up the product’s compliance record.
Devices that combine a transmitter with digital circuitry, like a laptop with built-in Wi-Fi, need Certification for the transmitter portion. The digital portion can technically ride on an SDoC, but manufacturers often certify the whole device through a TCB to simplify the process. Any product eligible for SDoC can voluntarily use Certification instead, but not the reverse.
Authorization isn’t one-and-done. The FCC runs market surveillance audits to verify that production units match the tested prototypes. Design, component, or software changes that could affect emissions may require retesting or a new authorization, and compliance obligations continue as long as the product is being sold.
Labeling and User Manual Requirements
Receivers associated with a licensed radio service must display a conspicuous statement on the device: “This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the condition that this device does not cause harmful interference.”5eCFR. 47 CFR 15.19 – Labeling Requirements Certified devices must display an FCC ID number linking the product to its authorization record.
The FCC now allows electronic labeling for devices with display screens. The FCC ID and compliance information can appear on-screen instead of on a physical nameplate, provided the user manual explains how to access it.6eCFR. 47 CFR 2.925 – Identification of Equipment User manuals for intentional and unintentional radiators must include a warning that unauthorized modifications could void the user’s authority to operate the device.7eCFR. 47 CFR 15.21 – Information to User
Emission and Power Limits
Section 15.109 sets radiated emission limits for unintentional radiators measured at 3 meters. For Class B digital devices:8eCFR. 47 CFR 15.109 – Radiated Emission Limits
- 30–88 MHz: 100 microvolts per meter
- 88–216 MHz: 150 microvolts per meter
- 216–960 MHz: 200 microvolts per meter
- Above 960 MHz: 500 microvolts per meter
Class A devices are permitted higher limits at each frequency range. For intentional radiators, Section 15.209 sets general limits, but the more practically relevant rules for common wireless devices live in Section 15.247. In the 2.4 GHz band (2400–2483.5 MHz) where Wi-Fi and Bluetooth operate, the maximum conducted output power is 1 watt for frequency-hopping systems using at least 75 channels and for digitally modulated systems.9eCFR. 47 CFR Part 15 Subpart C – Intentional Radiators That figure assumes an antenna with no more than 6 dBi of directional gain; higher-gain antennas require a proportional reduction in transmitter power.
Intentional radiators must also be designed so that only the manufacturer’s antenna can be used. Permanently attached antennas or proprietary connectors satisfy the rule; standard antenna jacks and common electrical connectors are prohibited.10eCFR. 47 CFR 15.203 – Antenna Requirement Manufacturers can allow user replacement of a broken antenna, but the connection must be non-standard. This prevents someone from bolting on a high-gain aftermarket antenna that would push effective radiated power past legal limits.
Modular Transmitter Approval
Most modern products don’t design their own radio hardware. Instead, they integrate a pre-certified wireless module. Section 15.212 permits this, but the module must meet standalone requirements to earn its own FCC certification.11eCFR. 47 CFR 15.212 – Modular Transmitters It needs shielding around the radio elements, its own power regulation, and buffered data inputs so a misbehaving host device can’t push it out of compliance. It must use a permanently attached antenna or proprietary connector and be tested as a standalone unit.
When a certified module is installed inside a host device and its FCC ID isn’t visible from the outside, the host must carry a label such as “Contains FCC ID: XYZMODEL1.” The module maker must also supply integration instructions that the host manufacturer follows to keep the finished product compliant. For product developers who aren’t radio engineers, integrating a certified module and testing the rest of the device is far faster and cheaper than certifying an entire product from scratch.
What’s Exempt from Authorization
Not every electronic product needs full authorization. Section 15.103 lists categories exempt from the specific technical standards and equipment authorization requirements, though they still must satisfy the no-harmful-interference conditions in Section 15.5.
Key exemptions include battery-powered devices that operate below 1.705 MHz and products with internal operating frequencies at or below 9 kHz. Certain digital circuits inside household appliances that assist with domestic tasks like cooking, cleaning, or climate control also qualify, with limits: the exemption covers only the appliance function. A coffee maker with Wi-Fi control is exempt for its coffee-making circuitry but still needs authorization for the wireless module. Appliances that actively use RF energy, such as microwave ovens and induction cooktops, fall under separate industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) rules and don’t qualify for the household exemption.
Exempt products cannot display the FCC logo or include the Part 15 compliance statement in their manuals. The FCC still retains authority to restrict the sale of any exempt product that generates interference complaints.
Importing RF Devices
Electronics entering the US must meet one of the conditions in 47 CFR Section 2.1204. Usually that means the product already has an FCC equipment authorization (Certification or SDoC) before arrival. The old requirement to file FCC Form 740 at the border was eliminated in 2017.12Federal Communications Commission. Equipment Authorization – Importation
Two other conditions matter for manufacturers still finishing compliance work. You can import up to 4,000 units for testing and evaluation, or up to 400 units for trade show demonstration, without a completed authorization. Higher quantities require written approval from the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology, and each distinct model and generation counts separately against these limits. Customs and Border Protection can detain shipments of RF devices that lack proper authorization.
Enforcement and Penalties
The FCC’s Spectrum Enforcement Division handles complaints about non-compliant devices, whether the issue involves interference, unauthorized marketing, or labeling failures. Its tools range from citations to monetary forfeitures.
For equipment-related violations that don’t fall under a more specific penalty category, the inflation-adjusted forfeiture cap is $25,132 per violation or per day of a continuing violation, with a total ceiling of $188,491 for any single act or failure to act.13Federal Register. Annual Adjustment of Civil Monetary Penalties to Reflect Inflation The base statutory amounts in 47 U.S.C. § 503(b) are $10,000 per violation and $75,000 total, and annual inflation adjustments have pushed the effective caps well above those figures.14Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 47 USC 503 – Forfeitures
Penalties stack. A manufacturer selling thousands of non-compliant units faces potential fines on each device, and each day of continued sales after an FCC warning counts as a separate continuing violation. The FCC can revoke an equipment authorization, and Customs can seize non-compliant imports at the border. For most manufacturers, the cost of a recall and the reputational hit exceed the fines themselves.